• Law Offices of Claude S. Smith, III

    Over 30 Years of Legal Experience You Can Rely On
    Book a FREE Call
  • Law Offices of Claude S. Smith, III

    Over 30 Years of Legal Experience You Can Rely On
    Book a FREE Call
  • Law Offices of Claude S. Smith, III

    Over 30 Years of Legal Experience You Can Rely On
    Book a FREE Call

Family Law & Estate Planning Attorney in Charleston, WV

Personalized Care
Always On Your Side
Aggressive Approach

We take the mystery out of legal issues.

You’re probably not used to sitting down with a guy in a suit and talking about the law. That’s okay. Despite what you might be expecting, working with a lawyer doesn’t have to be scary. When you come to us, you’ll work directly with your lawyer, and he will patiently answer all of your questions and walk you through your best options.

You deserve someone willing to fight for you.

Whether you’re dealing with a messy divorce, child custody dispute, estate planning concern, elder law issue, criminal charge, personal injury, or other legal matter, we are on your side. Period. You don’t have to worry about being judged or turned away based on your legal situation. We are here to help you get through this as quickly and painlessly as possible.

We fight hard to achieve our clients’ goals.

We have battled for custody rights on behalf of parents and grandparents, handled high-conflict divorce cases, guided our clients through all aspects of building a customized estate plan, and successfully argued against a wide range of other legal opponents. We are more than willing to fight aggressively for you if your case is complex or the other side is not cooperating.

Attorney at Law

CLAUDE S. SMITH, III


From the moment you first meet Claude, you can tell that he’s concerned about your well-being — not what’s in your wallet. If you’re looking for an attorney who is knowledgeable, experienced, patient, and focused on what matters, Claude is who you need to see.

YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR PRIORITY

Providing legal representation you can depend on.

Family Law

Family Law Attorney in Charleston, WV Family law disputes can be a difficult and emotional matter. The Law Office of Claude S. Smith, III will help you face your family-related legal matter with sound legal representation, and present you with honest and straightforward advice. We will assist you to find your way through whatever you […]
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Charitable Planning

We encourage and assist the tradition of giving to charitable causes. In addition to the many personal rewards inherent in making a charitable gift, most gifts also provide a current charitable income tax deduction.
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Fundamental Estate Planning

There are many legal strategies involved in estate planning, including wills, trusts, durable powers of attorney, and health care documents.
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Probate & Estate Administration

There can be terrific grief and pain at the loss of a loved one. Beyond grief and pain, when you add external stresses to the equation you can have a disaster on your hands in very short order.
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Estate Tax Planning

Historically speaking, the federal estate tax is an excise tax levied on the transfer of a person’s assets after death. In actuality, it is neither a death tax nor an inheritance tax, but more accurately a transfer tax.
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Business Succession Planning

It would be an understatement to say that family businesses are the backbone of the American economy. Some 90 percent of all businesses in this country are either family-owned or family-controlled.
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Asset Protection

Asset protection planning involves making prudent decisions today to protect yourself, your business, and your hard-earned assets from loss.
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Elder Law

Wills, trusts, estate plans, and powers of attorney are essential to safeguarding your property, bank accounts, assets, and more.
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Veterans Benefits

Many families struggle to provide necessary care for aging or disabled veterans or their surviving spouses. Unfortunately, most of these families are unaware of an important benefit available through the Department of Veterans Affairs to which their loved ones may be entitled.
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Special Needs Estate Planning

Special Needs Estate Planning focuses on providing for the special needs of our loved ones with disabilities when we are no longer there to organize and advocate on their behalf.
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Medicaid Crisis Planning

Change is life’s only constant. Sometimes these changes strike without warning. If you or a loved one has experienced a sudden illness or serious accident, you understand how abruptly everything can change.
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Let Us Help You Through This

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What Sets Us Apart
We understand this process can be difficult. We ease you through it with your best interest in mind.

Legal problems are extremely stressful, especially when your family, your health, or your freedom are at stake. At this point in time, you may not even be sure what kinds of questions you need to ask a lawyer, but that’s entirely normal. Whether your situation involves family law, estate planning, elder law, a criminal charge, or a personal injury, we will start by giving you all the information you need.

The way we see it, you deserve to get this information directly from an expert. That’s why we make it easy for you to get in touch with your lawyer, and we never ask you to sit down with a paralegal or assistant instead.

As our relationship continues, we will keep you updated about the status of your case every step of the way. Your lawyer will reach out regularly to tell you about any new developments, and he will also be happy to answer any questions you have throughout the process.

MEMBERSHIPS AND ACCREDIDATIONS

top 10 in family lawelder counsel
top 10 best law firm
top 10 best attorney
top 10 in estate planning
top 10 in family law
top 10 in estate planning
top 10 in elder law
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Client Success Stories

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Josh
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Amazing man and incredibly helpful. He has a big heart, and it's apparent in everything he does!
Posted on Google
Duncan
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Claude is very knowledgeable in what he does. Very easy to talk with and explains everything thoroughly. He has saved loads of headache with multiple items with estate planning and wills. SO glad I found him!!
Posted on Google
Eva
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Claude S. Smith recently helped me make a big decision about my mother's estate. He walked me through all the legal options with just the right amount of support. Using more than his estate planning expertise, he showed true compassion for the difficulties I faced. He didn't tell me what to do, but asked lots of guiding questions that led me to a desirable outcome. I appreciated his patience and wisdom.
Posted on Google
Lee
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Great Lawyer great help very efficient understood what I need and he delivered!!! Highly recommend
Posted on Google
Lea
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Many years ago, I needed help settling my dad's affairs. Claude was very kind and very insightful in dealing with my problems,. Later on when I had problems with a property he handled the situation very skillfully. All around good guy.
Posted on Google
Tina
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Claude was so easy to work with in understanding our family trust and when we could sell assets. I plan on using his services and referring him to everyone I know!
Posted on Google
Melissa
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Mr. Smith is great to work with and so helpful. He was prompt in returning phone calls, very knowledgeable, and he was able to drill down to the crux of my issue quickly. I would definitely call him again if needed, and recommend him to others.
Posted on Google
Tiffany
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Mr. Smith is the most caring, understanding and down to earth attorney I’ve ever met. He’s professional and personable equally. He gets to know you and your legal situation as a whole and you’re not treated like just another number to him. Thank you Claude for all that you do!
Posted on Google
Trevor
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Mr. Smith and his staff have been unbelievably helpful, informative and kind. I recommend him to anyone and everyone. He has been very understanding and extremely supportive. Anything you may need. Contact him. I guarantee you will be glad you did.
Law Offices of Claude S. Smith, III

805 Bigley Avenue
Charleston, WV 25302

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